Too Far Gone
by jiffy-pop
Summary: CHAPTER 4 IS UP. After Naruto kicks him out of his apartment, Sasuke goes off on one of his legendary sulks. Meanwhile, Sakura and Naruto are being spied on....
1. A Troublesome Night

Chapter 1 - A Troublesome Night

-  
-

Though Shikamaru was often called a genius and was able to figure out nearly every possible strategy an opponent could make, the forming of his relationship with Naruto managed to evade his complete understanding. One second they were barely acquaintances, and the next second... well, they were there, eighteen years old, in a bar, drinking beer like good buddies. It was nearly midnight, and Shikamaru was beginning to think Naruto had had too many.

"--And then Ero-sennin was like _'waait! wait' _and chased the woman outside of the hotel, wearing nothing but some old boxers! You should've seen Sakura-chan's face when he came tearing through the lobby!" Naruto laughed very loudly. He then took a break and drank a long gulp from his tall glass of beer.

Shikamaru sighed and made a discreet sign to the bartender not to give Naruto anymore to drink. The bartender nodded. Shikamaru took a drink from his own much fuller glass and frowned a bit in displeasure. He never cared for drinking much. It was too much trouble. He really couldn't understand how Naruto had even gotten him to agree to something like this in the first place.

As if he had heard Shikamaru's thoughts, Naruto suddenly thumped his friend hard on the back. "I'm so glad you came here with me, Shikamaru! It's been sooo long since I've gone somewhere and just cut back and relaxed, you know?" Naruto laid his head down on the counter and smiled a very content smile.

"Didn't you and Kiba come here just last night?" Shikamaru reminded Naruto, shrugging Naruto's hand off as Naruto began to play with the side pocket on his shirt.

"Mmm, I suppose we did," Naruto said, looking thoughtful as if trying to remember. His arm lay limp on the counter where Shikamaru had pushed it. "But I didn't have nearly as much fun as I am now."

"According to Ino, who saw you and Kiba walking by her house wearing bags on your heads, you looked like you were having a ton of fun," Shikamaru stated dryly.

"Bags? I don't remember that..." Naruto rolled his head over and rested on his chin, looking puzzled.

Shikamaru sighed again. "Of course you don't. You never do. I'm really starting to think you have no self-control."

"Hey, now I have self-control!" Naruto said indignantly. "I have tons and tons of self-control! You take that back, you bastard!"

Shikamaru would've taken Naruto more seriously if it weren't for that fact that his head seemed to be permanently rested on the counter. "Whatever," he muttered.

Naruto glared at him then pushed himself off the counter and reached for his beer again. He drained the last of the glass down his throat. When he put it back down, he had a glum expression on his face.

Shikamaru spared a glance at his suddenly somber friend. "So when are you going out again?" he asked.

"Day after tomorrow," Naruto mumbled. The glossiness in his eyes dissipated a bit. "Secret ANBU mission stuff. Can't talk about it."

"I understand," Shikamaru said simply. He cupped his glass in his hands and studied the golden colored liquid inside. "Will you be working with Sasuke this time?"

Naruto made a face. "Yeah... the jerk."

Shikamaru nodded. "How long will you be gone?"

"A week."

They were silent for a while. Shikamaru took the opportunity to finish off his drink. Finally, Naruto spoke again.

"Hey, Shikamaru?"

"Mm?" Shikamaru tilted his head towards Naruto to show he was listening.

"Why haven't you joined ANBU yet?"

Shikamaru was slightly surprised by the question. "Too much work," he stated in a tone of voice that said it should've been obvious.

Naruto rubbed a finger over the edge of his empty glass. "I want you to be in it. It would be nice. We could work together, then."

Shikamru shook his head. "Yeah, right. You just don't want to be partnered with Sasuke anymore."

"That's totally not true!" Naruto's voice was even louder then usual. "I don't give a shit either way! That guy means absolutely nothing to me!"

"No, of course not. That's why you've been drinking yourself into oblivion for the past week."

"W-What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto stuttered.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at Naruto's stubbornness. "Please, Naruto. We've all noticed how depressed you get right before a mission with him."

Naruto looked like he wanted to say several things at once.

Shikamaru interrupted before he could. "Just don't even try."

Naruto's mouth shut then opened again. "I really hate him," he said bitterly.

Shikamaru didn't particularly care for Sasuke, either, but he knew that what Naruto had said wasn't true. "Whatever..."

Naruto slammed his palm on the counter. "No, I hate him! I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!" He was saying this very fast and very childishly.

"Fine. Okay! Whatever... forget I said any thing, then," Shikamaru said in annoyance. This was so troublesome.

Naruto crossed his arms, stuck them on the counter, and layed his head in them with a frown. "Why does everything have to get so confusing and different, Shika? Hmm? Why can't things go back to when we were kids?"

"Because things just don't really work like that, I guess," Shikamaru stated.

Naruto looked away, his eyes had a far-off glint to them. "They should," he mumbled.

Shikamaru didn't bother to disagree.

-

-

Shikamaru never understood why he did the things he did for Naruto. Naruto somehow managed to convince him to go against his nature, which is a trait he possessed that not even his best friend Chouji could master. It was just something about that crooked grin and insistent blue eyes. He was like a hyperactive puppy you couldn't ignore. Well, except for now. Right now he was barely able to stand, and he was starting to make Shikamaru's right shoulder ache from supporting him.

"Damnit, Naruto! Sit up and help me a little. I'm not going to haul your drunk ass all the way to your apartment," Shikamaru snapped to the stumbling blond, who's head kept smacking into his as he tried to keep up with Shikamaru's steps.

"S'm trying. Gimme a minute," mumbled Naruto. He tried to take his arm from Shikamaru's shoulder and sit down on the road, but Shikamaru would have nothing of it.

"Hey, now. Don't you pass out on me yet, you idiot. Honestly, what was I thinking letting you get like this?"

"Shikamaru, I loooove you!" Naruto chimed with a giggle. He planted a sloppy kiss on Shikamaru's cheek then tripped over his feet and nearly dragged him and Shikamaru to the ground.

Shikamaru fought a battle with gravity and nearly lost as he righted himself and Naruto again. He continued down the path they had taken, unsure exactly where Naruto even lived. He wanted to rub away the tingling feeling left over from Naruto's lips, but he didn't have a hand to spare.

"You are such a pain, Naruto," he said furiously as they made it past the flower shop.

"So he's drunk again, is he?" a voice suddenly ask from the shadows. Shikamaru's right hand went to his weapons' pack instantly which made Naruto lurch forward. A familiar shape leaped out and caught the inebriated blond before he fell. Shikamaru's stance relaxed slightly.

"Hello, Sasuke," he greeted coolly.

Sasuke nodded his greeting, shifting Naruto over to a more comfortable position in his arms. Naruto was still working on figuring out just what had happened. "Hey!" he said loudly, pushing his head up and blinking at Sasuke's face. His expressions crossed from mildly surprise, to alarm, to anger. "What the fuck are you doing, you asshole!"

Sasuke easily overpowered Naruto's feeble attempts to get away from him. "Shut it, usuratonkachi," he growled.

Naruto glared at the dark haired youth and yanked against the grip he had on his wrists to no avail. "Lemme go, bastard!"

"No," Sasuke said simply.

Shikamaru decided to intercede. "I was just taking Naruto back to his apartment," he explained. He tried to ignore the still struggling Naruto, who was shooting pleading looks in his direction.

"You've been going the wrong way. Naruto's apartment is south of here."

Shikamaru heaved a great sigh. "Tch. How troublesome," he said. He was never going to get to bed at this rate.

"I'll take him," Sasuke offered. His voice was even and his expression unreadable.

Naruto rebelled again. "Like hell! I can take care of myself, thank you!"

Sasuke ignored him. "I promise I'll make sure he gets home safely."

Shikamaru glanced from Naruto's flustered face to Sasuke's unreadable one. He knew that by allowing Sasuke to take Naruto home, he'd be in for a very loud, very annoying rant from Naruto the next day. But then again, by refusing he'd have to make the walk to Naruto's apartment himself, and that was just if Sasuke allowed him to refuse. Either way, he was in for trouble. All he knew at the moment, though, was that he needed rest. "Do what you like," he said.

"Traitor!" Naruto shrieked into the night. Shikamaru winced. Sasuke let the fox boy go and he promptly fell over into the road. Naruto struggled to pick himself up and didn't succeed until Shikamaru helped him along.

"This will teach you not to drink so much," Shikamaru said as he handed Naruto over to Sasuke, who was far less gentle and kept Naruto in place by gripping him in the back of the neck. Shikamaru stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I'm trusting you, Uchiha," he stated, looking hard into Sasuke's eyes. He was the main reason Naruto was like this, and Shikamaru wasn't about to forget that.

Something passed over Sasuke's face as he looked down at his much shorter companion. "Don't worry about a thing," he reassured Shikamaru.

A slight frown tugged at the edge of Shikamaru's mouth when Sasuke and Naruto left. Naruto was pressed in close to Sasuke, struggling like a mad badger to get away from him. That, and simply to walk straight. Sasuke was taking everything with the usual cold attitude that Shikamaru had always disliked immensely. There was just something about his cocky attitude that had irked him since their very first days together in the academy. He didn't quite understand why it was Naruto was so drawn to him in the first place. Then again, it wasn't like it was any of his business. He was tired and his home was several blocks away. It was better for him to start walking then contemplate anything else tonight that might annoy him.

_'Naruto had better not blame me for anything else that happens tonight,'_ Shikamaru thought as he turned away from the scene in front of him and walked towards his house.

-


	2. Just in Case

**Chapter 2 - 'Just in Case' **

By Jiffer

**A/N:** I updated as soon as you told me to **xXxDeadOnArrivalxXx**. And don't worry **Loser81**. This is not going to turn out to be one of those cliched love stories… at least, I hope it doesn't.

This is a great deal shorter then my last chapter, but I promise that the next one will be longer. And hopefully updated sooner. I'm a bit sporadic when it comes to updating. Some days I'll put up new stuff the next day… other times it takes me a month. I'm trying to get better at it, though. Promise. Anyway, I hope you like! _Please… _if you have the time, **review**. It boosts my confidence and helps me write faster, and I'm not just saying that. :P

-

Something was definitely not right with Naruto's floors.

Naruto staggered to his left.

Yes, there was a definite sideways slant to his apartment that hadn't been there this morning. And if he wasn't mistaken, it slanted both ways.

He staggered to his right.

"Idiot," Sasuke said.

Naruto felt a hot pressure of a hand on his shoulder steady him and jumped. "Don't touch me!" he shouted furiously at Sasuke. Why was Sasuke always touching him? He shouldn't be touching him. It was wrong. It was...

Naruto lost his train of thought.

"Just keep you hands to yourself, Uchiha! I'm going to bed!" he announced with an infuriating glare over his shoulder at Sasuke. He had to turn most of his body around to do it properly. "So you are more then welcome to leave me alone now!"

Sasuke didn't seem to be paying him any attention. His face was turned towards the window. The curtains were open and moonlight was pouring into the room. He spoke without looking at him. "Take off your weapons pack, dobe."

"What!" Naruto yelled.

"I don't want you hurting yourself by sleeping with it on," Sasuke stated calmly.

"Oh, so now you're Mr. Concern suddenly, are you?"

Sasuke turned his head and fixed Naruto with a looked that would've sent a warning off in Naruto's head if he had not been so drunk.

"I mean, it wasn't like you were too concerned on our last mission when I nearly got a kunai in my head!"

"You weren't staggering drunk then, were you?" Sasuke said back impatiently.

"SO? You still should've backed me up!" Naruto squawked.

"I'm your partner, not your babysitter," Sasuke said coolly.

Naruto sputtered, his indignation too fierce to form into a coherent sentence. He balled his fists and made a show to teach Sasuke a lesson or two but feel flat on his face instead. He cursed loudly at Sasuke's feet.

"You're wasted," Sasuke said unnecessarily.

"You're an asshole," Naruto said as he staggered back up.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Get to bed."

"Don't order me around!"

"Okay. Keep staggering around until you break your neck then."

"I just might do that!"

Fine."

"Fine!"

"Fine."

"FINE!"

Sasuke caught Naruto as he tottered again. He deftly took his pack off and threw it onto the couch as he pushed Naruto back onto his feet.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Naruto announced shakily.

"Not on me, you're not," growled Sasuke. He half carried Naruto over to a chair and plopped him on it. "Stay here. I'm going to get you some water."

"Mmmm," was Naruto's response as Sasuke went away. For a while all he could think about was the swaying of the chair and the slight nausia in his stomach. Everything was swirling around him and his eyes kept doing circles trying to stay focused onto something. He wanted Sasuke to come back and maybe bring a trash can, but a small part of his brain was protesting that action for reasons he was having a hard time remembering. The only thought that surfaced was _'I hate that bastard'_ and it didn't seem to justify why he must sit here in dizzy agony alone. Who cares if he hated Sasuke? His whole body was out of control. He felt like he was on a 'Tea Cup ride' at the fair, spinning faster and faster. Sasuke could help. Sasuke could make it stop if he'd just _come back_ . Why did that jerk leave him anyway?

Sasuke returned just in time to hear Naruto mumble out feebly, "Sasuke." It was a voice of frustration and despairation.

"I'm here, dobe," Sasuke grumbled, bringing the glass of water over to Naruto to drink.

Naruto's eyes were closed and his head leaned back against the chair. His hands were clinching the arm rests tightly, as though he was scared of being thrown off it. "Don't...call... me that," Naruto breathed. His breath reeked harshly of booze.

"Here," Sasuke said, trying to hand Naruto the water. Naruto shook his head stubbornly. His hands didn't move.

"Don't want it."

"Too bad." Sasuke forced Naruto to take a sip of the water.

Naruto made a face. "Mm never going to the bar ever again," he swore.

"Yeah, sure," Sasuke said in disbelief as he made Naruto take another sip.

Naruto rested in the chair for a long time, taking a sip of the glass when Sasuke offered it until finally it was emptied. Sasuke waited five more minutes before placing the glass down on the floor by the chair and asking Naruto if he was ready to get up and go to bed.

Naruto looked to already be asleep but he lifted his head slightly and peered blearily at Sasuke through half closed eyes. "I can sleep here, thanks."

"You're going to sleep in your bed." The tone in Sasuke's voice refused to be contradicted.

"Don't wanna get up," Naruto protested anyway.

Sasuke once again found himself half-carrying Naruto, this time to his bedroom. He followed the trail of socks and old underwear, wondering if the blonde _ever_cleaned his apartment and deposited Naruto onto the bed with a heavy heave. The blanket was on the floor, so he bent down and threw it on him.

Naruto was already hugging his pillow when the blanket plopped on him. "Thanks," he mumbled softly.

Sasuke's response was to take the trashcan by the door and place it strategically next to where Naruto was facing. "Just in case," he said.

TBC...

-


	3. A Bad Morning

-

**Chapter 3 - 'A Bad Morning'**

**A/N:****Azamiko** - I'm glad you like my Sasuke. He's my favorite character, so that means a lot to me. And I completely agree with what you said about people protraying him from one extremity to another. Sasuke is complex, and it's hard to get him. So people need to stop generalizing his character and turning him into a total jerk/emotionally damaged psycho/sex-crazed seme. It makes me want to cry.

**xXxDeadOnArrivalxXx - **this fanfic has been made possible from views like YOU.

-

Naruto woke up to a dry mouth, slight headache, and a small sense of disorientation. Sunlight was streaming into his room, casting its golden rays directing into his eyes as if to say _get up you lazy ass_ . Naruto groaned, rubbed his eyes, and obliged the rude light, pushing his blanket off him.

When he stepped out of bed, his toe made hard impact with a trashcan. He did a short dance around his room, cursing trashcans from all over the world and finally made himself over to the bathroom adjacent to his bedroom. His toe throbbed as he focused on putting toothpaste on his toothbrush. His teeth felt wooly and it was the greatest relief at that moment to brush it all away. Once he was finished, he cupped his hands and splashed some of the water into his face to wake himself up. It was at that moment that memories of the night before began to make their way sluggishly back to him. He stood there, hands cupped inches from his face, and stared into the mirror at his red-rimmed eyes. Finally...

"I'm going to kill Shikamaru!" he swore fiercely.

He left the bathroom in a huff, thoughts of Sasuke drifting idly in his brain along with the faint notion of making some breakfast. He was thankfully lacking in a major hangover. Typically after such a heavy night of drinking, he doesn't want food for hours, but right then his stomach was growling and the prospect of eggs and bacon or better yet ramen began to overtake the more unpleasant ones of Sasuke.

That is, until he discovered the raven-headed jounin asleep on his couch. The murderous sound he made woke up any of his next door neighbors that might have been sleeping in. It certainly woke up Sasuke.

"You! YOOU! What are_ you_ doing here!" Naruto shouted with a dramatic finger point at Sasuke.

Sasuke, who had shot up into a sitting position with a wild look in his eye after the first shriek, sank back down once he realized who it was. "God, you're loud," he muttered. He drapped his arm over his eyes and tried to sleep again.

"Excuse me! I- You-... GET OUT OF MY APARTMENT!" Naruto commanded.

"Make me," drawled Sasuke, turning his back to Naruto.

In hindsight, that was probably a bad thing for him to say to Naruto, who always did take things too literally. After a quick shout of _Kage Bunshin no Jitsu_ Sasuke found himself being attacked by six Naruto's who were all very determined to throw him off of the couch.

Sasuke's hand instantly found Naruto's weapon pack that was still sitting on the couch. He took out a knife and deflected four of the Naruto clones with loud 'POOFS.' Sharingan blazing, he turned to the remaining two and glared daggers from the couch cushions he was now standing on.

"I love how you repay me for helping you out last night," he said sarcastically.

"Helping out my ass! I had everything under control!"

"You could barely stand," Sasuke retorted. "If you're not going to drink responsibly, Naruto. You really shouldn't drink at all."

"Don't lecture me, asshole. What do you know about it, anyway? I bet you've never partied in your life!"

"Damnit!" Sasuke cursed. "It's too early for this!" With a flick of Sasuke's wrist, the last Naruto clone let out a shout and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. The thrown shuriken went clattering to the floor next to an old ramen cup.

An uneasy silence fell between them as both boys glared at each other, too stubborn to back down. Finally Sasuke shifted his weight on the couch and jumped off it. He kicked the ramen cup out of his way. "I'm out of here!" he announced.

"Good!" Naruto said vehemently.

Sasuke scowled and stalked past Naruto to the door. He opened and slammed it shut behind him, shaking the few pictures Naruto had hung on the walls.

"Jerk," Naruto muttered to the air angrily.

- - - - - -

It was a bright afternoon and from where Ino sat she had a perfect view of Shikamaru and Chouji in the window of the barbeque resturant. She reasoned with herself that this was pure coincidence that Sakura and her had chosen to sit down and talk at such a strategic point and tried not to glance too often over at the window or to smirk whenever Chouji got a rise out of Shikamaru. Instead, she focused dully on Sakura's large forehead with her hand cupping her chin trying to fake interest in the new gossip about Sasuke... only it wasn't Sasuke this time she suddenly realized. Ino zoned back in with a startled blink.

"What was that about Kakashi?" she asked. Somewhere along the line Sakura's endless chatter had taken a turn to something besides for her handsome teammate.

"He's been assigned a mission with me, Sasuke, and Naruto next month," Sakura repeated excitedly. "I think it's some kind of guard work."

"Guard work? That doesn't sound too exciting," Ino commented. She had been assigned guard duty for a whole fortnight last summer to one of Konoha's towers and had found it the most boring job ever.

"But don't you see?" Sakura said. "I'll finally get to go on a mission with Sasuke and Naruto again. It's been months! What, with them being in ANBU all the time and me stuck behind my desk work with the Hokage..."

There was definite bitterness in Sakura's voice when she said this and Ino understood it all too well. Sakura was a born fighter, and she hated intensely not being equal with her teammates. Ino didn't bother trying to point out that Sasuke and Naruto i were /i after all two of the best shinobi of their age group, and it wasn't like Sakura challenging herself to succeed up to their standards was an easy quest.

It was a good thing, Ino reasoned, that Sakura wasn't proned to bouts of self-pity. She was justified, no doubt, but Ino had no patience for crybabies or "girls." Besides, Sakura was fast becoming a powerful ninja, too. She had already made it to chunnin level, and with all the training she was receiving from Shizune, Ino wouldn't be surprised to see her taking the Jounin exam soon.

"Sounds like a real opportunity, then," Ino agreed. She then remembered something. "Me and my team are going out soon, too."

"Yeah?"

Before she could complete her thought, Ino glanced back over at the barbeque restaurant and noticed someone else had joined Shikamaru and Chouji. He had familiar blonde hair and looked to be upset about something. "Geez, what is that idiot doing now?" she asked more to herself then to Sakura.

"What?" Sakura looked over to where Ino was watching. "Hey, isn't that Naruto?"

At that moment Shikamaru put up his hands in a clear sign of surrender. Naruto was hovering over him, legs locked, and fist balled with his mouth moving rapidly. Shikamaru had one eyebrow scrunched down and half his mouth turned in a lopsided frown. Meanwhile, Chouji motioned for the waiter to bring another helping of meat.

"He seems really upset about something," Sakura said with worry.

"Ah, he's probably just pissed off about something that happened last night," Ino said with a shrug. "He and Shikamaru went to the bar I heard. Probably drank himself stupid again."

"Should we maybe go in and see if we can intervene?"

"No way. It's not our fight."

Luckily, they didn't have to worry about what to do because Naruto was already storming away. He burst out the front doors of the restaurant and started down the road in front of Ino and Sakura in a fast walk. Sakura waved over at him.

"Hey, Naruto!" she called sweetly.

Naruto looked up from the ground and over at Sakura. He broke out into a reluctant smile. "Oh, hey, Sakura-chan."

"What were you talking to Shikamaru about?" Sakura asked as Naruto approached them.

Naruto looked over his shoulder and stopped smiling. "Oh, nothing. Just stuff." He kicked a stray pebble in the road and watched it bounce off the fence it hit.

"You look down," Sakura observed. "Something the matter?"

Naruto made a neutral sound in the back of his throat. His stance reminded Ino suddenly of Sasuke. That, and how silent he was being. Something really must be wrong to silence the great loud mouth Naruto.

Sakura must've sensed this too. She shot Ino an apologetic glance. "Hey, Ino. I'm going to go ahead and head home. We'll talk a bit later, okay?" She pushed herself off the ground and stood as she said that.

Ino tried not to seem too disappointed. "No problem."

Sakura looped her arm through Naruto's much to the surprise of the glum ninja and her best friend. "See you around then," she called, forcing Naruto to walk with her.

-  
-

Sakura waited until they were over a block away before asking Naruto again what was wrong. "Don't pretend that something isn't up, Naruto. I know you too well for that," she warned.

She had let go of his arm by now and he had his hands stuffed deep in his pockets.

"I'm just so pissed off right now," Naruto admitted. "It's bad enough that I have to be on missions with that egomaniac, but then he had the balls to bring me home last night after I, well..."

"Got shit-faced drunk?" Sakura ventured to guess.

Naruto sighed. "Yeah, I guess you could call it that."

"But what's wrong with that?" she asked. "I mean, I know you two aren't friends anymore as much as I'd like you to be, but you shouldn't begrudge Sasuke for taking care of you."

"You don't get it, though!" said Naruto. "Sasuke had no right to interfere. I mean, he ditches us for Orochimaru and then he just expects us to... accept him back with open arms? He knows that I don't want to be friends again."

"So you're mad for him helping you out?" Sakura didn't bother to hide her disbelief. After all, Naruto could be a bit childish sometimes.

"It's not just that! I'm mad that he treats me like an idiot. I'm mad that he calls me 'usurantonkachi' still. I'm mad at how condescending he is whenever we're on a mission. I'm mad because he talks hardly at all, except when he insults me. I'm mad that he spent the night at my apartment. I'm mad that-"

"He spent the night at your apartment?" Sakura interrupted.

Naruto reddened. "Yeah. On my couch! Which means I'm going to have to flip the cushions over now. I can only imagine how badly they must reek of him."

Sakura was tempted to comment on how immature Naruto sounded right now. "Why did he sleep on your couch?" she asked.

Naruto ruffled the back of his head. "I dunno! I guess he was too lazy to walk home or something, though it would've taking him, like, five minutes tops. The bum."

"Maybe he wanted to make sure you were alright," Sakura suggested.

This didn't help Naruto's mood. "Oh, please! This is Sasuke we're talking about. That jerk's only concerned about one person. Him. And I'm more then justified in saying that!"

"Well, if you want my opinion, I think you're over reacting. In fact, you should apologize."

"Apologize!" shouted Naruto in disbelief. "For what? You don't even know what happened!"

"I have a pretty good idea," Sakura stated dryly. "Instead of waiting for an explanation or thanking Sasuke, you yelled yourself horse at him, call him an asshole, no doubt, and made him leave. Is that about right?"

"...but he _is_ and asshole!" Naruto protested.

Sakura sighed. "This conversation is going no where." Her voice then softened. "Listen, Naruto, you have every right to hate him, and if I had been in your shoes when he did what he did, I might not like him, too. But there's no reason for you not to act civil around him."

Naruto's shoulders slumped. "You just don't understand."

"Apparently not, but hey," Sakura slapped Naruto lightly on the back. "Maybe later this evening you and I can go grab something to eat with Ino and the gang. Get this whole thing out of your mind. Sound fun?"

Naruto brightened. "R-Really?"

"Yeah, sure. Why not?"

"Can we call it a date?"

"Mmmmmm... No."

"Awww!" Naruto made a dramatic show of disappointment that Sakura laughed at.

Meanwhile, in the trees nearby, they both of were unaware of someone watching them with a angry frown on his face.

------------------

TBC...

-

Be kind. Review.


	4. Inner Demons

**Chapter 4 - Inner Demons**

-

_When I speak I cross my fingers _

_Will you know you've been deceived? _

_I find a need to be the demon _

_A demon cannot be hurt _

--- Guster

-

-

Sasuke was pissed off as he walked through the streets of Konoha village, and he was having a difficult time hiding it behind the impassive mask that he wore to guard his thoughts. Every now and again he caught himself narrowing his eyes or flexing his fingers involuntarily and had to force himself to relax. After all, there was no point in displaying his displeasure openly in front of a crowd of strangers. Strangers to him at least. They seemed to know who he was perfectly well, judging by the sideways glances and hushed voices. He made out a few choice words being said about him with his extra sensitive hearing, and it didn't improve his mood.

_Traitor..._

_Filthy coward..._

He tried to reach for the familiar cold haven inside his mind. At that moment, all he wanted was to curl up with the familiar numbness he knew so well. He couldn't afford to lose himself to petty emotion right now. Maybe later when he had time. Not right now. Not when the pain was so raw.

_You don't care,_ he told himself firmly, trying to quash the angry feelings still burning away at his chest. _These people's opinions mean nothing to you. Don't let them get to you. You don't care._

Naruto's flushed face flashed in his mind briefly. Sasuke's eyebrows knit tightly together as he fought off the new wave of emotion.

_"You! YOOU! What are b you /b doing here!"_

The thought opened up a flood gate for more voices to spring forth, each one biting into him and making the fire inside his chest leap up and brighten into a blaze.

_"Look, it's the traitor."_

_"-if we hadn't have gotten there they would have died!"_

_"All his fault."_

_"And they were his comrades."_

_"What a coward."_

_"GET OUT OF MY APARTMENT!"_

_"Asshole!"_

"I DON'T CARE!" Sasuke shouted out furiously. His hand came down in a swift jester of banishment for the tormentors in his head.

The people passing him fell silent and stared. Their gazes burned against Sasuke's skin as he fought to control his breathing that was coming in shallow gasps. He became a little more aware of the area around him and noticed he was in the center marketplace of the village. The very last place he wanted to be when he was having such difficulty controlling his emotions right now. Humanity, sights, and sounds pressed in closer to him suddenly. A cart cut by in front of him dangerously close. He moved out of the way instinctively, wanting to hold his head to block the sudden buzz of people talking around him and in him.

_You're not a kid anymore. Stop acting like one!_ his mind suddenly lashed out. Sasuke's shoulders relaxed a bit. What was he doing? Now wasn't the time for theatrics. He needed to prepare for his mission, and he still had to go by and talk to Kakashi.

"Uchiha Sasuke," someone said behind him. It wasn't a greeting more then a simple statement.

Sasuke was instantly on guard as he turned. He worked his face into an impassive mask. "Yo," he said in recognition.

Hyuuga Neji's silvery eyes were transfixed on Sasuke as he uncrossed his arms and strolled toward him. He was a good five inches taller then Sasuke. A reminder that Sasuke was still having trouble getting used to when the Hyuuga genius was close enough to him to effectively tower over him.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked curtly.

"Nothing, really. Just saw you walking by and decided to talk."

He was a good liar Sasuke decided. "I don't believe you," he said flatly.

Neji inclined his head slightly to the side and look at him calculatingly. "What makes you think I want something?" he asked.

"You don't go out of your way just to say hello to someone," Sasuke said icily.

"How perceptive of you."

"It didn't take much to figure out. So what do you really want?"

Neji shrugged. "You looked distressed, so I decided to come over and talk."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Do I need a better reason? I was concerned."

Sasuke scoffed at this. "I don't need your concern."

"And I usually wouldn't be one to give it, especially to someone like you," Neji said casually. "But I understand how lonely it can get-"

Sasuke stiffened.

"-When you feel like you've been isolated from everyone you love."

Sasuke didn't want to be hearing this right now. "Spare me," he growled.

"Spare you? Not likely. If it had been me, I'd probably have killed you by now, but _he_ always was more forgiving then me."

Sasuke knew what Neji was talking about, and it made his fists ball in rage. "Don't go presuming you know everything, Hyuuga."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

Sasuke's teeth ground together. "Bastard."

"Traitor," Neji deadpanned.

Sasuke flinched.

A ghost of a smirk fluttered across Neji's face. He leaned in closer toward Sasuke's ear, and before he could shy away, he whispered: "Don't even kid yourself by saying you don't care, Uchiha. If you didn't, you wouldn't still be chasing him. Admit it."

Sasuke's insides felt cold. "You're a freak," he snarled at the pale eyed jounin.

Neji's smirk stayed with Sasuke even when the tall boy turned and left him standing there with a whole group of spectators watching and judging him over their shoulders. Neji hadn't said a word, but Sasuke knew what he must be thinking:

_'Better a freak then a traitor.'_

-

-

Rock Lee was in a very grave state of mind as he peered down at a certain pink-haired ninja from a safe distance behind the branches of a tree. His heart gave an uncomfortable skip as he watched Sakura lean in closer to his rival and friend Uzumaki Naruto, who made a move to put his arm over her shoulder.

_'Don't think that you have won, Naruto-kun!'_ he swore angrily to himself as the fox boy laughed and dodged playfully out of the way when Sakura made a move to elbow him. _'Hard work and devotion always prevails over every hardship!'_

However, Lee had a sinking feeling that of all his rivals, Naruto was the one most likely able to compete with his determination with equal ferocity. It was almost possible that Naruto _could_ win his young, beautiful...

_'No! Don't even think it!'_ he rebuked_. 'A man's heart much be strong and unfaltering in dramatic times like these!'_ And besides, hadn't he and Sakura-chan kissed...?

Hot red spots burned their way onto Lee's cheeks as he remembered. He was so distracted by the momentary reflection, that he didn't hear the creak until it was too late.

With a very un-ninja like yelp, Lee fell off his perch as it broke and onto the ground in a tangle of arms and legs. He _would've_ been able to land in a more dignified manner, preferably on his feet, but a squirrel had the unfortunate luck of being right underneath where he was falling and only quick timing, which lead to slight bruising, had Lee saving the otherwise crushed squirrel that was now safe on top of his stomach.

Lee's back ached from where it had landed on a tree root, and he gave an annoyed groan. The squirrel ungratefully ran away from him once it finally had the sense to realize what had happened. As it scampered away, bushy tail swishing indignantly, Lee tentatively got up from the ground and felt around to make sure everything was intact.

Luckily, all that seemed to be damaged was his pride.

"You're face is bleeding. Did you know that?"

Maybe not...

Lee looked up at a blond haired girl with her bang covering one of her eyes. She pushed it impatiently out of her way with an expression that reminded Lee of Tenten somehow. She tucked her hand into her pocket and produced a white handkerchief.

"Here," she offered, holding it out to Lee.

He took it politely. "Thanks. Uh, where am I-"

"Right here," Ino pointed to a spot on her forehead and Lee dabbed the indicated area on his own head. Sure enough, it came back red. He must've cut it on a branch coming down, he imagined.

"I thought ninjas of your level aren't supposed to fall out of trees like that," Ino commented dryly with her hands behind her back.

Lee blushed slightly. "I, uh, I was a little distracted."

"Oh?"

The blush deepened. "Um, I mean to say, that I was careless. That's all."

"You're Rock Lee, right?" Ino blurted out.

Lee looked surprised. "Yes, I am."

"Sakura's told me about you, andI came to visit you once in the hospital with her. Did you know that?"

Lee shook his head incredulously. "No, I didn't know that."

Ino smirked. "I'm Ino. I'm a friend of Sakura."

"I'm pleased to meet you," Lee said, rubbing his hand against his leg before holding it out for Ino to shake.

She did it readily, pointedly ignoring the dirt stains he'd gotten from the fall. Lee could feel the calluses on her palm before he let go. It impressed him.

"So how long have you and Sakura-chan been friends?" he asked curiously.

Ino took this as a sign and moved over to lean against the tree. "Oh, forever, practically. I've known her since she and I were just kids. She was always a shy one, and I took it upon myself to kind of toughen her up, make her see her own potential. She did eventually, but not quite in the way I had expected her to. Sakura always liked doing things her own way. It was one of the things that drew me to her, though it can be a pain sometimes, too. Does that make sense?"

"Actually, it makes a lot of sense," Lee said.

Ino pushed off of the tree. "You like Sakura, right?" she asked.

"What?" Lee asked.

"I asked if you liked Sakura. You do, don't you? After all, you don't make it much of a secret. You proposed to her publicly just last week."

Lee's shoulder's sagged. She had a point. "Yes, I care very deeply for Sakura-chan."

"Why?"

Lee blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Why do you like Sakura so much?" Ino asked curiously.

Lee was thoughtful. "She inspires me," he said truthfully. "She has this passion to her... She's like, I don't know... sweet and sour sauce."

"Sweet and sour sauce?" Ino raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah!" Lee said, suddenly emotional. "She's kind but fierce at the same time, a perfect blend of a woman's grace and a fighter's spirit! Both sweet and sour!"

He said the last part a bit loud.

Ino looked vaguely disturbed. "And it helps that she's pretty too, right?"

"Yes- I mean, no! Beauty is something that is in the soul. You shouldn't judge by the outward appearance." Lee reddened some.

Ino smiled in an understanding way, though it could've been smug, Lee couldn't tell.

"You're an interesting one," she commented. "You should come out with me tonight and hang out. I'm having a get together with a couple of friends. Sakura will be there." She cast out the last statement like it meant nothing.

Lee's eyes lit up hopefully. "Really? You'll let me come?"

"'Let?' No. I'm _inviting_ you. You're interesting. Is that so hard to believe?"

"A little bit."

Ino laughed. "What do you say to six? We're meeting at the new restaurant next to the cafe on Gabe street. You know it?"

Lee nodded.

"Good. See you there then." Ino left the tree with a wave.

Lee was torn for a moment but then...

"See you at six then!" he yelled after the retreating blond.

Once Ino was gone from sight, Lee could barely contain his glee. He did a little leaping dance around the tree and even gave into the urge to hug it. Imagine him having dinner with Sakura! He hoped it was all right for him to go in his training clothes. He didn't have anything else clean to wear at the moment.

_Oh well! Gai-sensei always said that green was my best color,_ he assured himself with a twinkling grin.

- - - - -

-

-

**Random Responses:**

xXxDeadOnArrivalxXx - you're not disturbed! Well, maybe placing me on a pedestal's a little disturbing. I'm not _that_ good! Or at least, it's better for me to think that way before I get a swollen head.

BlackMystick - Oh, come on…. Did you think I was going to be THAT predictable:cackles evilly:

Azamiko - yah, Sakura bashing's a real annoyance for me because she doesn't deserve it at all. I mean, yeah, in the beginning episodes it took a while for me to get used to her, but at least she thinks and fights (every 50th episode or so….) unlike most of the other anime girls out there.

-

-

Be kind. Take the time…. Review.


End file.
